MANCHESTER CITY skipper Vincent Kompany has celebrated a decade at the Etihad by goading Manchester United fans that they talk “nonsense”.

Kompany’s light-hearted remarks come just a few days after United manager Jose Mourinho claimed City lacked “class” for poking fun at him in their Amazon ‘fly on the wall’ documentary of their record-breaking Premier League title-winning season.

The Belgium defender is the longest-serving player at City, having been signed for a bargain £6million from Hamburg by former manager Mark Hughes on August 22 2008, 10 days before it was officially announced that Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour bought City.

Kompany married a Mancunian and, thanks to her family, he has had the kind of insight into derby rivalry that few players get. And his towering header in the 2012 derby turned the title pendulum City’s way.

“I love the derby because of the banter and rivalry,” he said. “I understand that some might feel genuine hate for one another, but that’s not what I feel – I just feel like I want to win that game more than any other game because I know a lot of people associated to that club.

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Some talk a little bit more nonsense than others – and usually they wear a red shirt!

Vincent Kompany

“It goes both ways. United fans in my family don’t want me to win on derby day, as much as they like me. And I want to win that game as much as they want to win that game.

“If you live outside of Manchester you can take it out of context sometimes, where you can think it’s all hate and I don’t think it is.

“From being in Manchester for a long time and being around the normal supporters, you feel like we both love our clubs. We are all the same. We talk the same, behave the same virtually, but some talk a little bit more nonsense than others – and usually they wear a red shirt!”

Kompany, 32, has played more than 350 games for City – it would have been far more but for a succession of niggling injuries in recent seasons.

Man City news: Kompany's towering header in the 2012 derby turned the title pendulum City’s way (Image: GETTY)

When he signed for City, he said he felt “something big might happen” and his statement has proved spot on with City emerging from United’s shadow to win three Premier League titles, three League Cups, the FA Cup, two FA Community Shields as well as qualifying for the Champions League for eight successive seasons.

He said: “It has been a special journey. The fans and the people who support this club are the same but everything else has evolved. There’s so much to say right now in a few words. But I’m extremely proud to have been a part of it.”

City manager Pep Guardiola led the tributes to Kompany, by saying: “When one guy is with the same club for 10 years it’s because he is something special.”

Man City owner Sheikh Mansour bought the club in 2008 (Image: GETTY)

Kevin De Bruyne, a team-mate at club and international level, said: “He has been a legend for the club and also for Belgium. He did good stuff and hopefully we can win more together.”

City, meanwhile, are ready to place their faith in 20-year-old academy graduate goalkeeper Danny Grimshaw to replace Claudio Bravo as Ederson Moraes’ deputy.

Bravo has been ruled out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon after City sold Angus Gunn and Joe Hart.